Parallel clamp



A. L. PENIX PARALLEL CLAMP May 5,

Filed June 6, 1

FIGZ

FIGB

INVENTOR ALONZOLPENIX Z 55% hll llh- 46 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,131,927 Patented May 5., 1964 3,131,927 PARALLEL CLAMP Alonzo L. ienix, Star Rte, West Brookfield, Mass. Filed June 6, 1961, Ser. No. 115,233 3 tllaims. (Cl. 26991) This invention relates to a new and improved parallel clamp which is simplified in consnuction, easier and quicker to operate than parallel clamps of the prior art, and in which obstruction of the clamp itself and interference in use is minimized.

The principal object of the present invention resides in the provision of a parallel clam-p which utilizes a pair of standard socket head machine screws for adjusting the clamping members relative to each other and in which one of said socket head screws passes completely through one clamping member and is threaded into the other; the other socket head screw also being threaded into this member and having its head bearing on the first clamping member but being otherwise unconnected with respect thereto so that both screws are threaded with respect to one only of the clamping members.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a parallel clamp of the class described in which the two clamping members are connected by standard socket head machine screws, the heads of which are both located and operated with respect to one clamping member only, both of said screws being threaded into the other clamping member but not being threaded with re spect to the clamping member at one side of which both the socket heads are operated, as for instance by an Allen wrench.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a View in side elevation illustrating the new p;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the parts; and

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing a modification.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a pair of clamping jaws which are more or less conventional, these being indicated at and '12. The specific size and shape of these jaws can be varied at will without departing from the scope of the invention, but it is to be noted that the jaw 10 is provided two parallel, spaced tapped holes which are here indicated at 14 and 16.

The other jaw 12 is provided with one unthreaded through hole at 18 and this hole is uniform in diameter from end-to-end. This hole is adapted to be aligned with the tapped hole 14 in jaw 10.

J aw 12 has another hole which is countersunk at 20 and has a through portion thereof narrower of course than the countersink as at 22. This hole is aligned with the tapped hole 16.

Now the tapped hole 16 in jaw 10 is provided with a standard socket head machine screw which is indicated at 24 and which has the usual socket head 26. The socket head 26 is of a size to just fit in the countersunk portion 20 of the two diameter hole in jaw 12, and bears on the bottom of the countersink. The Allen wrench which is indicated at 28 is capable of opera-ting upon the socket 26 through the hole 22.

The other standard socket head machine screw is indicated at 30 and it has the usual socket head 32. This screw passes through the hole 18 which is large enough to slidingly receive it and of course is threaded into the tapped hole 14. The screw 30 is a little longer than screw 24 by the thickness of the bar which makes up the clamping jaw 12 minus the thickness of the head of the other screw. 7

In the use of the device it be seen that the screw 30 may be turned as desired without turning screw 24 so that the jaws can be positioned where desired prior to the tightening action without the necessity of first operating one screw and then the other, and this makes the parallel clamp a good deal easier and quicker tooperate without sacrificing, but rather increasing the degree of parallelism obtained at the instant of clamping a piece between the jaws.

At the same time the new clamp is actuated by the Allen head wrench at only one side of the parallel jaws so that again it is not necessary to first turn one screw at one side of the clamp and then the other screw at the other side of the clamp, but the screws are operated from one side only, and is a 'lot haudier tor the operator in applying the clamp to a workpiece or the like. The commercial screws, the use of which is made possible by invention, are of a size to obtain the of obstruction in the use of the [new clamp, and is particularly advantageous in certain production jobs where the size range of the work is at a Also, any damage to the screws, as on milling machines, grinders, etc, is easily and inexpensively overcome merely by the replacement by a new commercial socket head screw.

This invention may also be extended to include similar devices in jigs and fixtures and this is shown in FIG. 3 wherein the numeral 34 represents a worktable or jig or fixture plate and the work to be cl-amped is indicated by the character W.

A work holding jaw is indicated at -36 and this jaw is substantially the same as the jaw 12 above described. Particularly the jaw 36 is provided with a hole 38 which is not tapped and another hole 40 which is not tapped but is countersunk at 42 for the reception of the head 44 of a socket machine screw or the like 46. The hole 38 receives the socket head machine screw 48 and the construction therefore is seen to be substantially the same as before with the worktable 34 taking the place of the jaw 10. In case, however, it is preferred to provide a spring 50 which surrounds the machine screw 48 and tends to separate jaw 36 from the work table 341and thus maintains the jaw 36 from collapsing when the screws are retracted. Thus it will be seen that the invention is substantially the same in FIG. 3 as in FIGS. 1 and 2 but that the application is somewhat different and this clamp will be found to be particularly useful in short run production where workpieces of similar nature have to be held one after the other.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A parallel clamp comprising two jaws, one of said jaws having a pair of tapped holes therein, the other jaw having a pair of through untapped holes therein, one of said vuntapped holes being countersunk on the side facing the jaw with the tapped holes, a pair of standard socket head machine screws, one passing completely through one untapped hole and being threaded into a tapped hole and including a head stopped at its under side by the surface of the untapped jaw away trom the tapped jaw, and the other socket head screw having its head located in the countersunk portion of the other untapped hole and being stopped at the top of its head in the bottom of the countersink, and being otherwise completely free of the untapped jaw, but being threaded into the other tapped hole, the heads of the screws being located only by the jaw member having the untapped holes, said screws being operable from one side only of the jaw having the untapped holes.

r 2; A clamp particularly adapted for mounting on s. work table or the like, said work cable having a pair of spaced tapped holes mherein, a work-holding jaw having a pair of corresponding untapped holes therein, one of said untapped holes having a countersunk portion facing the work table, a pair of machine sc ews with socket heads, one extendingcompletely cln'ough one of said unmapped'hole-s and threaded into a tapped hole inthe work liable, and the other socket head screw having its head engaged in the countersunk pom-ion of said jaw and tha'eaded with crespect to the/other mapped hole in (the week table, both of said screws being adapted to he turned -by an mounted on the socket head screw which extends com- 5 pletely through mhe untapped hole in rhhe jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 59,861 O-r-msby Nov. 20, 1866 10 1,286,314 Hentle Dec. 3, 1918 1,428,608 Parker Sept. 12, 1922 2,594,794- -Mull Apr. 29, 1952 

2. A CLAMP PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON A WORK TABLE OR THE LIKE, SAID WORK TABLE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED TAPPED HOLES THEREIN, A WORK-HOLDING JAW HAVING A PAIR OF CORRESPONDING UNTAPPED HOLES THEREIN, ONE OF SAID UNTAPPED HOLES HAVING A COUNTERSUNK PORTION FACING THE WORK TABLE, A PAIR OF MACHINE SCREWS WITH SOCKET HEADS, ONE EXTENDING COMPLETELY THROUGH ONE OF SAID UNTAPPED HOLES AND THREADED INTO A TAPPED HOLE IN THE WORK TABLE, AND THE OTHER SOCKET HEAD SCREW HAVING ITS HEAD ENGAGED IN THE COUNTERSUNK PORTION OF SAID JAW AND THREADED WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER TAPPED HOLE IN THE WORK TABLE, BOTH OF SAID SCREWS BEING ADAPTED TO BE TURNED BY AN ALLEN HEAD WRENCH AT THE SURFACE OF THE JAW WHICH FACES AWAY FROM THE WORK TABLE. 